goal weight?

my surgeon set my goal weight at 137. for years i thought i was at least 5'8, but according to their measurements i'm only 5'7. 137 just seems so low to me, i can't remember ever weighing that, i had to have been in elementary school and much shorter. (i've been overweight/obese since i was a child, so i have no memories of being a healthy weight) my lightest adult weight (after a dangerous and unhealthy diet) was 190, and i didn't stay there for very long. i used to say i'd be happy just getting under 200 again, but i guess the more you lose, the more you want to lose. for a while now i've been putting my personal goal down as 150. to be in the healthy BMI range i'd need to weigh between 120-160, so i guess my surgeon's goal isn't that crazy after all. i'm at 181 now, just barely fitting into non-plus sizes (16-18) and really active. i'm able to do all the things i couldn't do pre-op and wanted to do. if for some strange reason i couldn't lose any more weight, i could be happy where i am now. ::knock on wood:: but there's the other side of me that wants to be skinny. my loss has slowed a LOT lately (i'm only losing 1-2 lbs. a week now) and sometimes i worry that the honeymoon period is over and i won't reach my goal after all. i feel like i'm being vain, but at the same time i know that the surgery has given me the chance to do this, so why not? anys, i guess i just needed to vent a little. michelle 277/181/150?

I agree with you that being about 137 seems light too me too. I'm about 2 inches shorter and told I should be 145. Then again, I think your body will stop when its done. I'm not about to struggle to lose weight. I'll do what my body tells me to do. I think that "healthy" depends on you body. If you feel healthy now and aren't getting sick, don't have medical problems. Well then you are healthy.

i also wonder if 137 seems too light b/c i've never been there and i have no idea what a healthy weight would be. :/ i guess the point of my post was being confused b/c i've crossed over into territory i've never been in before. just waking up this morning and seeing 180 on the scale was a moment i'd never had before--at least not that i can remember. it seems like i've been over 200 my whole life. my husband says i'm "so tiny" now but how can an XL be tiny? i guess in comparison to a plus-size 3x it is... i do feel healthy now, i almost feel like i've crossed over the point where weightloss has gone from being for my health to being for my self-confidence. just the other day i tried one of the blood pressure machines at the pharmacy--not only did my arm fit into it without hurting, it also told me that i had a normal BP!!

Did you ever ask you surgeon why he picked the weight goal that he did? I talked to my doc at my 6 month visit about it. I am 5'8" and he set a goal of 145, at the last visit I was at 158 and in size 10. He said the goal weight was calculated by determining how much I needed to lose and what the average WLS weight loss is. (about 60-80% of your excess body weight). My doc then said it is definitely an inexact science since your weight/BMI can be affected by muscle mass and frame size. I am small boned but muscular and I have always been physically active. So, he said, the goal weight he set for me may be unrealistic when you consider the other factors. I do agree with you about the being happy where you are now if you couldn't lose anymore. I feel so blessed by my success with this tool and so happy with my newfound energy and a size 10 bod...it almost feels like being greedy to think of dropping 10-15 more pounds. Two years ago I would have wet myself laughing if someone told me I would lose 98 pounds in six months and be a size 10. I don't think your surgeon meant for your goal weight to be written in stone, or something for you to stress over. I have followed your story since our dates were so close together and I believe in your ability to use this tool as it was intended. You aren't being vain, just experiencing a little self doubt. You are a strong and rational person, you will be healthy and have a longer more enjoyable life now...and thats what really matters, isn't it? Take Care, Becky R 254/156/145 Size 20W to baggy 10s in 6 months!

he never went over that with me, he just said that the ideal weight for my height was 137. he did say that surgery success is 50% of your excess weight lost, (i've already past that mark) but at their practice most patients lose 80% of their excess weight. that would be 173, which i'm only 7 lbs. away from. he didn't say that was my "goal weight" though, i guess so that i don't stop trying at that point maybe? you're right though, i'm just feeling a little down now that the pounds aren't flying off me like they were, hehe. 1-2 lbs. a week is still a decent rate of loss.

Michelle, I am 5'4" and my dr says I have a medium frame. He wants me at 160-170 and then they will do the tummy tuck and I will lose another 20-25 pounds which would put me at 135-150.... I don't ever remember being that small so I cannot imagine what that will look like ... Terri

i didn't even think about the loss with the plastic surgery--i think i might go for the panniculectomy at 150, that way what they cut off will probably put me around my surgeon's goal.

Michelle, I'm 5'3" and my doc put my weight goal at 135-140. He said that he didn't really want me going below that because of the amount of excess skin (he estimates 10-15 lbs could be removed once I reach the goal above and that would put me right where he says I should be). I too am slowing way down on the loss, partly my own fault as I've noticed I tend to get more carbs in lately. I think I'm really going to have to watch those, especially when I'm PMS. I believe the holiday season is going to be a challenge for me to stay on track. Congrats on the success so far and I know you'll find a goal that is comfortable for you. Toni 267/171/135ish

thanks, it helps to hear why other people/their surgeons chose their goals. i too hope i can stay on track at the holidays, at least we're only going home to NC for thanksgiving this year, christmas i'll be cooking for just the 2 of us and i can avoid temptation better at home. i'll just have to stick to the turkey and green bean casserole at tgiving, they're my two favorites and both are relatively good choices. i'm actually considering baking a splenda pumpkin pie (they have the recipe on their website) and taking it up with us so i won't be as tempted to eat something that'll make me dump.

Wow Michelle. 137 seems awfully low to me! I am also 5' 7" and according the charts, 159 would put me in the high end of normal (with loose skin intact) I look at parts of myself right now at 178 and can't imagine getting down to 137. I'm already bony in through the chest area and upper abdomen. Have you ever considered an underwater weighing? That will tell you exactly your fat mass, muscle mass, resting metabolism, and your specific goal weight. We have an exercise physiologist here in MN who specializes in this. It might be worth a try! Stacey